Mine
by Boo2020
Summary: Maya has a little outburst when she overhears a potential client asking Phoenix out for New Year's Eve.
1. Maya

**A/N: I got this from a kink meme prompt but since that prompt already had another fill and was originally from like, 2008, I'm not going to bother posting it there. This was the prompt:**

 **The Word Mine**  
 **Someone claiming Phoenix as theirs. They could be prompted to because Phoenix is getting hit on or something. Anon's choice. PLEEEEASE!**  
 **Pre-relationship!**

 **I also have NO IDEA why I wrote this in first person. It just sort of ended up that way.**

* * *

 **Maya**

Watching Nick talk to women used to be funny. He's so oblivious, he can never tell when they like him, and on those rare off chances that they make it obvious enough for him to figure it out, he gets very awkward, very fast. He's not used to the attention, or maybe those old college memories are still messing with his head and he just pretends not to notice it.

It's been getting to be more annoying than funny lately though. There have been a strange amount of pretty young women coming into the office to ask for his help on this or that minor charge, even admitting that they're guilty half the time and giggling like committing a crime is somehow cute. The latest was a girl who admitted to shoplifting and getting caught. Yeah, right. Like Nick would help someone pathetic enough to steal make-up from a department store. Besides, who do they think he is? Some rookie? He's Phoenix Wright, for crying out loud. He helps innocent people, accused of big crimes, like murder and stuff!

They're only here _because_ he's Phoenix Wright. Maybe they don't realize that just because he's famous, that doesn't mean he has any money! They'd be better off trying to nab a prosecutor if that's what they're looking for, if how often Nick complains about his finances is anything to go by.

Then again, Nick _is_ pretty good looking, in a cute, puppy dog sort of way. If that's what you're into then I guess him being poor isn't such a big deal. _If_ that's what you're into… I don't pay much attention to that sort of thing, to be perfectly honest, at least not when it comes to Nick. He's not really my type…

But anyway. It's still annoying, having to sit here and watch as he deals with the women who come in and request 'only the best!' therefore ignoring Athena and Apollo, both perfectly good lawyers in their own right. And Apollo could use some love anyway.

Not that it matters who Nick talks to or whose cases he takes… I certainly don't care. I just find it kind of rude that when they come in they ignore the rest of the office (and me) completely. They act as if I'm just Nick's little secretary, there to be seen and not heard. Hmph.

It's happening right now, actually. There's another girl here, telling Nick some sob story about how it wasn't _her_ fault that her _ex_ -boyfriend (emphasis on the 'ex') was behind her car when she backed out and how it was a _total_ accident that she hit him and broke his leg, and it's not fair that he's suing her for the medical bills.

Nick is so patient, I have to admire it. He just nods along to her story, one of his hands in his pocket where I know he keeps that magatama I gave him all those years ago. He'll be able to tell that she's lying no problem. I can tell she's lying from way over here and I don't even need a charged magatama for it. She totally ran her boyfriend over on purpose. She _looks_ crazy that way.

And here it comes… Nick is declining to take her case. It's not like he's mean about it, and half these girls seem to know he's going to say no because none of them get very upset. I think they just pretend to want his help so they have a reason to come in and talk to him. She'll probably leave soon…

She's not leaving. She doesn't seem too bummed about Nick declining to be her lawyer. I bet she has rich parents and already had a backup defense attorney at the ready. She's going on about New Year's instead, for some reason.

Nick is starting to make that face. I don't know how to explain it. He looks like he's trying really hard to stay friendly but he's so uncomfortable that he just looks like he's in pain. It's actually really cute. Again, in a puppy dog sort of way.

Oh God. She's trying to ask him out. On New Year's Eve of all nights! And he declined her. Good. _We_ have plans tonight, and I know he wouldn't ditch me. What?! She's trying again! Ugh. He already knows all about the fireworks they do at midnight in the city, because that's where _we're_ going….

"Are you sure you don't want to come, Mr. Wright? They're very good fireworks."

"He already said no! Besides, he's _mine._ We already have plans!"

Nick looks over at me with eyebrows raised, and the girl looks mortified and is starting to apologize for not realizing he was already _with_ someone. No, no, no! I'm not _with_ him and he's _not_ mine. Why did I say it like that? He's mine?! He is not mine. And why did I stand up and practically _shout_ it across the room?

Why did I say that, why did I say that, why did I say that?! I can _feel_ how red my face is. The girl apologizes again and I can't even look at her as she slinks out of the office. I can't look at Nick either but I _know_ he's still looking at me. I can practically feel his eyes on the back of my head.

"Maya?"

Crap. Now he'll want to talk about what I said. Why can't he just realize how embarrassing that was and keep quiet so I can pretend it never happened?

"Maayaaa?"

"Yeah, Nick?" I say. I still can't turn around to look at him though.

"So… I'm yours, huh?"

My face is getting even redder. Nick doesn't take the opportunity to tease me very often since I'm usually the one teasing him, but it seems he can't resist this time.

I sink down further into the couch cushions. "I didn't mean it like that."

"How did you mean it?"

"I just… didn't want you to forget that you already planned on hanging out with me for New Year's, like every year."

"I would never forget that."

I can hear him getting up. Please don't come over here. Please no, no, no...

He sits down beside me, throwing an arm over the back of the couch behind me. I shift uncomfortably. Usually I don't mind his closeness at all, but at the moment it just seems to exemplify my embarrassment.

He turns his head slightly to look down at me, and I can see his little smirk out of the corner of my eye. Oh, he's enjoying this way too much.

"Seriously, Nick, I didn't mean anything by it."

"Mhm. It's fine. I'm flattered, you know."

I reach over to smack his leg. "Stop."

I feel his arm curl around my shoulders, and he's too strong for me to do much but struggle as he pulls me in for a crushing hug. Not that I struggle much... Nick gives really good hugs and he smells good too, so there's really not much to complain about.

"Aw, Maya," he's saying. "Thank you."

He finally lets his grip on me loosen, but I find myself staying in my spot, leaning against him. "Jeez, Nick"

He smiles and leans down, placing a kiss on my forehead. It only makes me blush harder and hide my face against his chest. But I can also feel my heart swelling. He's been doing stuff like that an awful lot lately. Touching me, putting his arm around me, even kissing me like that. So maybe he is really sweet along with being cute, but he's still not my type, and I'm not his. We're probably closer than a lot of friends are, but it's still all platonic, I swear.

"I think I'm going to close up the office now," he says suddenly.

"Oh?"

He nods. "I've had enough work today. We need to start our New Year's celebration early. I could do with a glass of _grape juice_ before we go out into the cold for the fireworks."

Ah, the code word he used to use around Trucy. She's old enough now to know what his grape juice really is, but he still tends to refer to it as such.

I smile. "I could go for some too."

He nods and gets up and I watch his back retreat into the kitchenette at the back of the office to find a bottle.

I guess at some point I did start thinking about Nick as _mine._ He's my… person. The one I can go to about anything without being scared of what he'll say, and I know he'll always be there to help me. I try to be there for him too, but I know that even now he still takes care of me more than I do him.

I make a silent New Year's resolution to try taking care of him for once in the New Year, the way he always does for me.

Of course, if he asks me, my New Year's resolution will be the same as every other year. Less burgers.


	2. Phoenix

**Phoenix**

When I hear Maya shout from the other side of the room, it surprises the heck out of me. It also surprises the client asking me to be her lawyer because her eyes get almost comically wide before she turns her head to look at Maya.

Then she starts to apologize and I could positively _kiss_ Maya right now for managing to get this woman out of here. First off, I'm not going to defend someone who clearly ran over her boyfriend on purpose, according to the magatama, and secondly, I have no interest in dating a criminal. Especially not a criminal who runs over her boyfriends with her car!

From over here I can't tell the expression on Maya's face but I'm sure she's embarrassed given she's sunken so far into the couch that I can only just see the top of her bun sticking up.

"Maya?"

No answer. There's no way I'm letting her get away with this without teasing her at least a little.

"Maayaaa?"

"Yeah, Nick?" she mumbles. I can barely hear her.

"So… I'm yours, huh?"

"I didn't mean it like that."

I can't help the grin that spreads across my face. "How did you mean it?"

"I just… didn't want you to forget that you already planned on hanging out with me for New Year's, like every year."

"I would never forget that." Obviously, since we do the same thing every year, _except_ for the past two years, given Maya has been in Khura'in. Those were the only times in the entire time I've known her that we haven't spent New Year's Eve together. There's no way I would give up tonight with her for anyone else.

She's quiet, so I get up and make my way across the room to sit down beside her. She shifts in her spot, and I can't help noticing it. She's been acting funny lately, to be honest. If I get too close to her she squirms, like she's uncomfortable. But we've been friends for forever and we've always been close, so I don't know what the problem is.

I must be smiling a little still, because Maya reaches over to smack me. "Stop," she says.

I curl my arm around her shoulders instead, pulling her against me to hug her. She struggles for a second but then gives up and relaxes against me, and this is what I've always loved. Our closeness…

"Aw, Maya. Thank you."

I loosen my grip on her, but she doesn't push herself away. She sighs and shifts to a slightly more comfortable position against me. "Jeez, Nick."

I chuckle and lean down to place a kiss on her forehead. Okay, so I don't usually do that. We're close but not _that_ close, and Maya looks surprised for a second before she hides her face in my chest in embarrassment. I couldn't help it though. She's just… adorable, really. Even at 28 she's still so youthful… but she doesn't necessarily look _young._ She's definitely matured, and she's a respected leader now, and I couldn't be prouder of all the work she's done in the past few years.

"I think I'm going to close up the office now," I tell her. I'm done with work and after that last client I really don't feel up to seeing another right now. Besides, tomorrow is a holiday.

"Oh?"

"I've had enough work today," I tell her. "We need to start our New Year's celebration early. I could do with a glass of _grape juice_ before we go out into the cold for the fireworks."

She smiles. The blush on her face hasn't completely disappeared yet and it makes her look so pretty. "I could go for some too," she says.

I'm tempted to tease her about not being old enough to drink even though that's far from true now, but decide against it.

I leave her on the couch to go get the wine. The _good_ wine, not the wine I drink occasionally when I'm home alone or when I invite Apollo to hang out after work for a while. That's cheap stuff. With Maya, it's always the good kind.

While I'm in the kitchenette I have to stop to replay the whole scene in my head. She'd looked downright angry as she shouted that I was _hers_. I guess in a way, that's true. And she's mine. I don't know what, exactly… I have friends other than her, of course, but no one like her. No one I would call _mine_ the way I can for her.

It probably has something to do with everything we've been through together. I still don't think Maya understands just how much she's done for me over the years. She's always had a bit of an issue with feeling like I do too much for her, or feeling like she doesn't deserve it, but I feel like it's not enough. Not compared to what she does for me. The thing is, if she asked me for specifics, I couldn't tell her. I don't know what exactly it is about her that makes her such an important part of my life, but without her I wouldn't be the person I am. I _need_ her. I always have.

Oh well. My New Year's resolution will be the same as every year. Make sure Maya knows how much I appreciate her.

Of course, if she asks me what mine is, I'll just tell her something typical like I'll try to work out more often or something. Then she'll probably laugh and poke me and agree that yes, I need to work out more. But that little blow to my self-esteem will be worth it just to see her laugh, the same as it is every other year.


End file.
